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Plan to Have a Greener Thanksgiving

Posted on 11/03/2014

Thanksgiving is coming up in a few short weeks, and it’s time to think about planning for all your guests. It can be overwhelming to plan for so many people, clean the house, do all the grocery shopping, but don’t lose sight of the purpose of the holiday: to give thanks. Appreciate the world around you by having an eco-friendly Thanksgiving meal. According to life.gaiam.com, here are a few twists to “greenify” your delicious Thanksgiving:

Cook organic food—Give thanks to your local farmers by buying their food at co-ops or farmer’s markets. If something you need is out of season, then shop organic at a grocery store. These foods will have a low carbon footprint and be more delicious.

Reuse to-go containers—Fight climate change on turkey day by asking guests to bring their own reusable containers. “Every year, Americans use enough plastic wrap to cover the entire state of Texas.” Be mindful of how you store your leftovers this year.

Use china and cloth napkins—Paper plates, napkins and plastic silverware may be easy to clean up, but the environmental impact is lasting. “The average American uses 2,200 two-ply paper napkins per year- which adds up to 662 billion napkins being added to the landfill on an annual basis.” Be green: use cloth napkins and dinner plates.

Compost leftovers—If you’re lucky enough to be able to grow a garden in November, don’t forget to compost the leftovers from Thanksgiving. Potato peels, carrot peels and cranberry sauce can all be added to a compost pile.

The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, a program of Children's Aid and Family Services, is a recognized leader in community and school-based education programs about alcohol and drug abuse prevention. Founded in 1979, The Center provides extensive resources, information, expertise and support in understanding and preventing alcohol and drug abuse and advocates for responsive prevention and treatment services. The Center offers evidence-based programs to communities and schools, as well as a full-service resource and referral center. The Center has programs, services and workshops for people of all ages to strengthen families and promote healthy lifestyles. The Center is the official Prevention Resource Center for Bergen County and towns East of the Passaic River in Passaic County.

Heroin: The Silent Epidemic

It has been all over the local news. There has been a dramatic increase in teenagers and young adults using heroin, especially in Bergen County. Below are a series of resources and articles for parents.

Watch the Bergen County Prevention Coalition PSA entitled The voices of Addiction of Bergen County. The video tells the stories of three people who live in Bergen County, New Jersey; a mom whose 21 year-old daughter passed away after overdosing on heroin, a young man incarcerated in the Bergen County jail who was a high school track star and began using painkillers when he broke his arm in several places, and a young woman who began using heroin when she was 17 and is now in a recovery program. Their stories began similarly - drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana were fun things to do and not a big deal or anything that was of great concern. The link between early use and the use of pills and heroin are what followed with each story’s outcome different from the other; with death, incarceration, and recovery.

We want you to know that they are not alone in managing issues related to addiction, there are resources available for help and support. Reach out to The Center for Drug and Alcohol Resources at 201-740-7069 or thecenter@cafsnj.org for more information or to access resources.

Turn in your expired or unused prescriptions for safe disposal.There are many sites throughout Bergen County where you can safely dispose of your expired or used prescriptions. See the link below.

The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources was awarded a contract from the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, to develop the Opioid Overdose Recovery Program in Bergen County. The purpose of the Program is to provide one-on-one assistance in emergency rooms by an individual in long-term recovery to those who have overdosed on opioids and were given Narcan by a law enforcement official, EMT or hospital staff, to end the ‘revolving door’ of cycling in and out of drug overdose situations. OORP can be dispatched 24 hours a day 7 days per week when Narcan is administered.

TCADR Self-Administered Screening Tool

The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources (TCADR) has launched a web-based interactive screening tool designed to provide users with appropriate referrals to addiction treatment services. TCADR Self-Administered Screening Tool guides the user through a short series of questions and, based on the responses, generates two referrals to treatment providers local to Bergen County, New Jersey and its immediate vicinity. While not intended to diagnose a substance abuse problem, the tool utilizes the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Patient Placement Criteria to provide referrals to programs that are appropriate to the user's needs. The ASAM Criteria is the most widely used and comprehensive criteria used for the placement of individuals with alcohol and drug problems. The tool is not designed to take the place of an assessment by an addictions professional, but it will take the guesswork out of where to turn for help.